During my freshmen year I took Intro to Journalism at Rock Bridge. I convinced myself that I wouldn’t join the newspaper team or yearbook after that, but I truly didn’t know what to put for any of my backup classes. 

For sophomore year I was transferred to Battle after my parents bought a house. In the beginning of newspaper class, there were some collaboration issues, everyone was a bit divided and communication was lacking in all sorts of aspects. Four students sat on the left side of class, and five on the right, and one in the front, completely separated from each other. During this time we had missed our first physical newspaper deadline and someone dropped out of the class. Then in December, three seniors in the class graduated, leaving six of us. 

As the days and weeks progressed, Mrs. Neuerburg decided for us all to sit at one big table for the rest of the year to help with our communication issues. I was aware some people were against the idea now that their conversations were going to be more openly heard, and we all would have to be more honest and upfront with each other about where we were at with our articles and if they would publish on time. Throughout this entire time the newspaper was looking like a complete train wreck with a handful of students who weren’t too interested in journalism or working with their peers. 

After a multitude of morning conferences were held, the relationship between the team began improving. We were able to successfully have an end-of-semester news cycle. Coming back after winter break was hard, and getting back into a regular cycle of interviewing, publishing, and editing, was a mess, but we all were able to begin collaborating as a team again. Slowly, I began to realize how close we all became throughout the year, openly discussing our opinions on events that happen in Columbia, talking about our weekend plans, and having uplifting conversations. 

For our spring cycle, we all set goals for our newspaper and gave ourselves more creative freedom. The goals ended up being a tad unrealistic, and we missed the printing deadline and had to publish all our stories online. Looking back at the year at new things I’ve learned or skills I’ve gained, I can say that not only I but my entire newspaper team has learned how to collaborate and enjoy working together despite our differences.